Even though they still have June primaries in their respective parties, the rival campaigns of Republican Jay Webber and Democrat Mikie Sherrill clashed this afternoon following Webber’s demand of Sherrill to call for the resignation of Senate Ethics Committee-chastised U.S. Senator Bob Menendez (D-NJ).

“Senator Bob Menendez has embarrassed New Jersey,” said Webber for Congress Campaign Manager Phil Valenziano. “Don’t take our word for it:  the United States Senate Ethics Committee, a bipartisan group of Democrats and Republicans, made crystal clear that the Senator ‘violated federal law.’ Senator Menendez took money and other gifts to help a donor who was overbilling Medicaid programs, essentially stealing from the hard-working taxpayers of this nation. That’s plain wrong, and severely undermines the trust our citizens have in our representation in Washington.  Senator Menendez should have resigned a long time ago, but needs to go today more than ever. 

“Voters in the 11th Congressional District should take note The hand-picked candidate of the Democratic Party bosses, Mikie Sherrill, has no problem cozying up to the ethically challenged Senator Menendez, gladly running with him in every county of the 11th. You would think ‘former federal prosecutor’ Sherrill would be appalled at the Senator’s behavior and make a clean break from him. Instead, Mikie has taken the easy road to power and looked the other way. It didn’t take long for so-called ‘outsider’ Mikie to become the ultimate insider.”

Pressed for comment, the Sherrill Campaign shot back.  

“To see career politician Jay Webber question the integrity of Mikie Sherrill, someone who has put our country above all else, first serving almost ten years as an officer in the U.S. Navy and then keeping our community safe as a federal prosecutor, is laughable,” said Sherrill Campaign Manager Mollie Binotto.

“Jay Webber’s brand of nasty politics serves one purpose–to distract voters from his record of supporting Governor Chris Christie and putting far-right policies ahead of people,” Binotto added. “Webber supports the extreme right-wing agenda that has led to higher health care premiums and increased taxes for many families in this community, and has voted to ban gay marriage and restrict a woman’s right to choose. No wonder he wants to change the subject. Unfortunately for him, New Jersey voters will see right through him.”